


Gold Glitters & Shadows Stain

by LittleMissTangent



Category: The New Legends of Monkey (TV)
Genre: Also I'm a sucker for good people going a little dark..... as a treat, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bruises, F/M, Forgiveness, I promise she is fine, Like minor but it is a plot point, MAYBE GLITTER but that's just me, Mistaken Identity, Monkey Calls Tripitaka Trip, Monkey feels bad, Monkey nearly goes too far, Monkey's Hair, Near Death Experiences, Ok so I just think there is so much that can be done with Shadow Monkey alright, POV Monkey, POV Tripitaka, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Season/Series 02, Tripkey, maybe too much focus on how soft monkey's hands are, mild violence, near - Freeform, sorta - Freeform, trip is soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26594890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissTangent/pseuds/LittleMissTangent
Summary: Monkey struggles with the fragility of humans. Shadow Monkey's insistence on ridding themselves of those who "control" them creates problems. Especially when Monkeys escape plan has just a little too much pressure applied.How Shadow Boxing could have gone differently; What happens when unbridled rage is directed at the wrong person.
Relationships: Monica & Sandy (The New Legends of Monkey), Monica & Tripitaka (The New Legends of Monkey), Monkey King & Pigsy (The New Legends of Monkey), Monkey King & Sandy (The New Legends of Monkey), Monkey King & Tripitaka (The New Legends of Monkey), Monkey King/Tripitaka (The New Legends of Monkey), Pigsy & Sandy (The New Legends of Monkey), Sandy & Tripitaka (The New Legends of Monkey)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 32





	1. How Shadows Shattered Her

Tripitaka was weightless, cold; floating an effortless sort of thing. The feeling in her head not meeting the feeling in her toes.

-where was she, who was she, what happened.-

Shadows swirled; gold glinted. Her breathing stopped. Then it started again, and she was free of the cold, but not the shadows. Nor free the hands that encircled her throat. Soft hands, they had calluses from work, not the musical sort of calluses but those gained in war. Calluses gained in fights. Calluses gained in protecting her.

The hands were well taken care of. The hands were soft, so soft. Hands this soft could only belong to one person.

Monkey.  
———————————————————————————————————-------------------------------------------------------

I knew we weren't on the best of terms at the moment but he was looking at me funny. I felt cold, run up my spine settling sharply in the base of my skull. He had just come back from his initial perimeter sweep, and he looked as though he knew something was going to go disastrously wrong. I asked him about it. He was quiet, so quiet it was painful. Just because we were having trouble speaking doesn't mean he shouldn't be as brash and brazen as he usually was. He replied with a face more solemn than I'd ever seen him," We have to kill Shadow Monkey."

This left us in shock and not so subtle silence. The chill at the nape of my neck spread and grew heavy. I could feel Monkey's eyes bore into me like he is trying to scoop my soul out from within them. My heart stutters, I'm not sure I can give him what he wants. I'm not even sure what he wants. For the first time, in a long time feel afraid of Monkey.

"If we don't kill Shadow Monkey… there'll be no world left to save."

Monkey's face is a hard line after he speaks those words. He seems angry, no — he seems upset. And he is still looking at me. His mouth is a grimace but his eyes are soft and sad and distraught. I can see so much pain there, I know I can't do anything to fix his anger. I brought him on this quest after all. What happened to him in the woods; what happened to hurt him so bad.

**\- Why can't I just be enough, why am I not worthy, after all the work I put in and how far I have progressed why am I not recognized as the chosen one. -**

Everywhere I look it is shiny.

Immediately I look for a love potion smoke bomb, but I can't seem to find one. That confirms my worst fears, salt slides down my face slow sluggish tears drip down without my allowance. I can't look at them; Sandy pulls me away.  
Monkey is quiet.  
Pigsy is stern-faced.  
Gaxin is looking into the distance.

I can't breathe and I can't understand why.  
Everything is spinning and I can't catch my breath- the tears flow faster - the worlds spinning speeds up -my hands reach for my head searching for hair, to find only a buzzcut - WHERE is my HAIR - Where Am I -

I let out a muted shriek.

I can't breathe and I can't understand why.  
———————————————————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------

Pigsy calls it a panic attack, he knows things, I hate to admit that. I really don't know why. But I hate to admit it.

I am worried about Trip. She is still mad at me. I hate it. I hate how vulnerable she makes me feel. Emphasis on feel- Because I the Great Sage Equal to heaven have no vulnerabilities.

Shadow Monkey - Shadow me?

Whatever we call him, he is a problem. He thinks Trip is controlling me, making me do what she wants. That's stupid of him- no one can make the Great Monkey King do anything he doesn't want to do. I only do what Trip asks me because it suits me and I want to. Her smile is soft and it makes me light up when she smiles at me. Her being mad at me was bad enough without having a murderous twin-clone brother person wanting her dead. I have only known her for less than 3 months and she means everything.

she means everything.

she means everything.

she means everything.

Oh gods she means everything.

The world had gained a new sense of color after he had kissed the monk, one that could not be attributed to being freed from stone. Creamy skin freckled with well, lovely freckles. Buzzed hair that just seemed to suit her. The blue compliments her so well. Monkey now knows, even if she didn't know the crown sutra he would have still followed her. The Great and all-powerful Monkey King in love with a weak human. It was a shock to Monkey's senses. Love, love was a strong word, not one he was ready to use. Especially when she was still mad at him - or was it disappointed?

How could he forget about the psycho with great hair and his beautiful mug who wanted her dead.

Someone who was created from him wanted her dead, a being with his face wanted his precious small monk dead. Because of him. Then again it makes sense as he has such positive and wonderful feelings toward her, it would only make sense that one created to oppose him would have the reverse feelings.

Does she see the way he looks at her as if she hung the moon to his sun? The way he trusts her….

No, she doesn't, she can't because he had betrayed her. He had undervalued her and took Gaxin over her. While Gaxin was easy on the eyes he wasn't her. He had put even more doubts in her head, only served to cause her pain. It seemed like both sides of The Monkey King were set on causing her harm. Be it physical, or emotionally traumatizing her and invalidating her.

Monkey had much to think about, good thing he was staying up all night to keep watch over her. He never knew when Shadow would come for her but he wouldn't be much of a protector of humans. Though this human, in particular, is special and not just to him but the entire world.


	2. Softly Sleeping Soundly Snoring Surrounded with Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one falls asleep in the forest.

-  
Monkey fell asleep. -OH GODS OTHER THAN MYSELF I FEEL ASLEEP.-

Where is Trip, where is she. He swirls around and sees her sitting by the fire with the rest of their friends, looking slightly unsettled at his panic. 

“Are you alright?” came Tripitaka’s honeyed voice. 

Monkey’s heart slowed back to a normal pace. The palpitations ceasing. Just her concern leveled him back out. She was quite good at that, calming him down with just her voice, and her words, and her face, and….

He was getting distracted, and if he was distracted he couldn’t protect her. And being unable to protect her might be what it takes to shatter him. What kind of God would he be if he couldn’t protect one measly human; one measly human who is being threatened by his brother. That amalgamation of the worst parts of himself was after one of the most important beings to him.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————  
Monkey was behaving particularly strange this morning. He seemed much more on the tired side, the last of us to wake. I wonder about him, I also worry for Kaedo. I hurt that young boy, I nearly took his life I truly don’t know if I could live with myself I had truly killed him, if I had truly killed another person. I wonder how the rest of them do it, take lives; even though they are demons and do want us dead. Why does the cost have to be so high. And why do we get to decided who pays it. What went through Monkeys head when he killed the demon Queen Hakuru. How far did his mercy extend, and why is the sinking feeling of danger surrounding me; I know that I am safe with my friends to protect me. But what would happen if something like what happened with Hagfish happened again, but it was one of them this time. I can’t defend myself against Gods. The only one I have a possible chance against is Monkey. With the Crown Sutra and all; but I hate to use it against him, seeing him in pain brings out the worst in me. This anger and pain I can’t describe.

What heavy thoughts for breakfast. Not much else to think about though I guess.

Sandy is still watching over me cautiously, Pigsy isn’t looking a me but I know he is listening, Gaxin looks like he’d rather be anywhere else.   
  
**-I wonder if they can tell what I am thinking.-**  
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

We make it to the beach.  
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— 

Mycelia is there, an angry sort of mad woman. Curly hair frazzled and pointed. She does not look how she did when we first met her, the gentle motherly charm originally about her has all but disappeared. Replaced with a sick need for power, a need for control and superiority, the need to not return from whence one came. The sand burns, it kicks up in our faces. The acrid heat only causing damage to perfectly moisturized hair. The sheen better not be lost or Mycelia will have to worry not only about Trip kicking her ass, but me as well. The bits of sand swirling and cycling around us creating a sea without water but not a lack of salt.

Gaxin has made his way to the center of some sort of tree. Mottled and grey the winding trunk looks sickly and currently degrading. Pigsy does his best to keep to him from descending all the way into the swirling swimming abyss that is the vines and roots that make up the tree. The struggle for the scroll feels endless and fruitless. 

Mycelia’s minions are stronger this time, more desperate. I know the real scroll is here, this is the last stand. The green tinge of their skin stands out heavily against the beige sand. The desert has no oasis, these things shouldn’t be able to fight and survive as well as they are. The are plants for my sake. The wild abandon with which they fight is distracting, the little bounty hunter would be helpful right around now. We have no time to worry about what we have and what we don’t at the moment though. Sandy is fighting against this musician, they were funny when we were in paradise…..

Paradise, Mycelia was close when she tried to figure out my paradise. She got one thing wrong though, I didn’t remember Tripitaka; there is no way I would have truly been in paradise with out her. The soft melody of her voice, her temper when she knows she is right, her conviction to the cause and everything she does. All of the adoration is flimsy and useless if I know none of it comes from her, I need her and I can’t explain it, when I am around her the whole world is shaken up. It feels like the world is out of focus without her with me, she sees through me, which I have to admit is quite scary, she knows what they all think of me, and yet she still trusts me; well trusted me. I am not sure I will ever live the choice I made down.

Why was I so ready to leave her behind, the answer is really selfish. I guess unfortunately, I am quite in line with what the history texts say about me. 

The fight continues on, the shouting and clash of weapons on weapons fuels my need to destroy and finish my— the mission. Sandy’s cries are guttural sending fear into the hearts of man and plant alike. Pigsy and Gaxin continue to struggle with the tree. .. .. something is missing. Correction the sounds of someone very important are missing. The fight was becoming frustrating, but some worry arose in the back of my mind. 

Tripitaka was not one to sit out, her not fighting meant that something was wrong, and gods some thing was definitely wrong.

The last thing monkey saw was red, and it was the only color he could see. The **S** **hadows** stole the blue from the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyyyyyy. I died. no ifs about it, I got swamped with school and full body cramps and pain. Im so sorry. To make it up to you guys hopefully another chapter will be published in a days


	3. Confused Cornered Cowards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> monkey rage quits, shadow monkey and trip chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY Y'ALL I'M BAAAAAAACK!!!!
> 
> I WAS MURDERED BY OCTOBER! I AM NOW OLD.
> 
> also writing is hard and writers block sucks. late Happy Halloween; and no I am not avoiding the election and school by hiding and writing.

Distracted, he got distracted by her and he lost her, he scratched at the shadows, red still the only thing he could see.   
The battle falls apart, Sandy begins to cry. Because of her the rest of the group beings to cry; only because of Sandy’s power did Monkey cry. No one can say other wise, the great monkey king does not cry, he just doesn’t. 

However Monkey was still seeing red, tearing down Mycelia’s children with uncomfortable ease. Shredding through the plant people with cruel accuracy, and seemingly pointed claws.

Mycelia’s wails of anguish held no weight against him, the shrieks of pain he paid little mind, the sound of bones shattering did nothing to slow him down. His tears cloud his vision leaving no room for mercy, pity, or recognition.

He only barely slows enough to avoid cutting Pigsy in half. 

Wait cutting Pigsy in half, he shouldn’t do that, no Pigsy is……his friend. 

Monkey shakes with rage, a bitter consuming rage that continues to fester without Tripitaka and her ability to soothe his soul.

Trip he should be focusing on Trip, **oh no monkey thinks to himself, where is Trip.**

Sandy’s tears drown out his sight, he can only tell who is left by the noise around him. Gaxin is struggling to breathe, Pigsy is mollified and frozen, Sandy is still sobbing, and Mycelia… Well…. Mycelia looked worse for wear, shattered by the loss of her children she sits quiet, almost calm in appearance, dreading to meet the same fate as her children.

All is still on the beach that was once a battle zone, all but one.

Monkey may have calmed down enough not to attack his friends, the woman who inadvertently got Tripitaka killed, he may be a God but he had no qualms sinking down to a demons level. If only to get revenge for his little monk. As he stalked toward the corrupt guardian, his teeth bared, he heard Sandy cry out to him.

“Monkey,” a frightened whisper stood out against the silence. “Monkey, where is Tripitaka?”

“Dead.”

Sandy collapses. Her powerful sobs strangling everyone.  
Pigsy falls out of his frozen stupor an onto the ground.  
Gaxin had passed out, not dead but not awake.

Mycelia takes advantage of Monkey being distracted, and attempts her escape. She doesn’t get far, Monkey quickly has her pinned, still focused on Sandy. 

“Shadow Monkey took her, he wanted her dead; and since he is just as powerful as me she has no chance… she had no chance, I was supposed to protect her, protect the world- my world.”

“MOnkey we don’t know that, she could still be alive.”

“She…….. You’re right Sandy, there IS a fraction of a chance; but I don’t know if I could look at her body, I DON’T KNOW WHO I’D END UP OVERPOWERING,WHO I’D END UP HURTING, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO FIX ME— MY STORY WAS SUPPOSED TO TELL THE TRUTH AND MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I AM A HERO. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITHOUT HER?”

Sandy looks at him, now fully sure of her suspicions. -Oh Monkey- she thought as she exhaled.

The stillness returned, no one daring to move after Monkey’s explosive confession. Gaxin stirred completely unaware of the tension, that was lowering. However it was likely to rise again if he woke up. 

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————  
Tripitaka was cold. Very cold. She was also back in Queen Hakuru’s temple.

As she was set down, none too kindly she might add. She notice Shadow Monkey was watching her. It was quiet as Shadow monkey circled her, a definite difference between him and her Mon— err him and Monkey.

“What does he see in you; you aren’t strong, you’re small, you are truly much too small, you really are tiny it must be a hassle to take care of you during a fight. Maybe he keeps you around because you are pretty, maybe you are fun to play with, maybe that is why he keeps you around.”

While Tripitaka knew the cruel words were meant to hurt her, it seems knowing did not cause them to hurt any less. He was trying to get into her head, a manipulative streak she had only barely seen Monkey use. She had to remember, he wasn’t Monkey. He was some sort of darkened and mirrored version of her friend. 

“Does that upset you small monk, the fact that you are small, and weak and insignificant? The fact that you are holding him back, the truth that you cause him suffering.” Smirks the mirror version of her friend.

“Does it bother you that you will never be like him?” She bites back.

With that he stops circling and lunges. Firmly holding her in place by her shoulders.

“I could snap you in half girl.”

“So why haven’t you.”

“It is more fitting if he kills his puppeteer. Like I did.”

“He doesn’t have one, he does what he does because he wants to, no one can make the Great Monkey King do anything he really doesn’t want to.”

“Except for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He listens to you, he —“

“Because we are friends and sometimes I know what is best.”

“Don’t interrupt me, you think you’re in charge and you are really not.”

“Why do you dislike me so much, what have I ever done to you?”

“You take his attention away, he’s so focused on you and your quest he is missing out on having fun with me.”

Tripitaka had nothing to say to that.

A shudder runs through her as the cold she felt spiked again. She made her best attempt to stop is lest Shadow Monkey try to use it against her.

“Does he even know where we are, for him to come find us, you do know he won’t kill me right.”

“I didn’t even think about if he knew to come back here, you know he will. You control him, you manipulative girl. So I know he will show. But once he gets here, you… you will cease to exist and he’s gonna be free.“

“And when he’s “free” how are you so sure he’ll go with you?”

“Oh he didn’t tell you about our little chat in forest.”

“No, he didn’t; he came out of the forest looking extremely on edge. After, he told us that he needed you dead, or there won’t be any world left to save.”

“But, I only threatened you…..”

“What?”

“Forget I said anything, it doesn’t concern you.”

“I think it does—“ 

“SHUT UP!”  
——-----------


	4. Altruistic Actions Annul Anger?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what are tears, if good deeds do nothing for anger, what can we do to combat hatred...........................

As tiring as it sounds, Tripitaka truly hated being yelled at. Not that it truly effected her, not that it shatters a piece of her soul when someone uses their voice to intimidate her. Of course not, she didn’t feel the sting of rejection when she was reprimanded for things she didn’t do, and she completely never questioned her place in the world after a shouting match, whether it be with the bar patrons, Monkey, or even guests at the Scholars house. There were few things that set off a panic, worse than feelings of being less then. Few things hurt worse than not being enough. There is something about anger being directed at her that truly forces feelings of malcontent.

-I shouldn’t focus on that, I need to escape.-

Now it is to be understood that Tripitaka was anything but weak. However everyone has their soft vulnerable parts, and unfortunately for her this seemed to be one of them. Misty eyes were no good for escaping, and escaping is what she needed to do.  
Bringing her hands to her cheeks Tripitaka dried her tears, Shadow Monkey seeing this removed his hands from her shoulders and pulled down her wrists. As though he wanted to see her cry. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, even if they were only tears of frustration.

“So Not Monkey, are we just going to stand here waiting for him. It is going to take a while as he should be finishing the quest.”

“He won’t leave without you—”

“Oh SO now I’m special enough he won’t leave me?” The fire finally back.

“ STOP INTERUPPTING ME!”

Unfortunately the flames were doused as soon as they had been lit. Leaving stone where there once was magma. The cold unfeeling presence she had been noticed in the back of her neck was spreading all over until the feeling in her head did not meet the feeling in her toes. Ice and stone taking over her physical body. The same could not be said for her mind, the mind-scape Tripitaka found her self in was like a river, was like magma flowing. How odd was it the mind not reflect the body.

Whilst Tripitaka’s face was stone, blank and unamused. The same could not be said for her eyes, even dead and cold were not hard enough to again slow the sluggish tears traced down her freckled face. If one didn’t know better you might of thought her dead or maybe a statue, only crying from water poured on her face.

Tears stemming from stone a sight not seen in 500 years.

Something in her had snapped, a part of her would never be able to be reforged, never again would she be the same, she and Monkey shared a lot of things in that aspect.  
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————  
Shadow Monkey has only seen humans scream in fear and run, not rain. Confused and interested he stared at her an odd grin taking up his face. The stony exterior of the Monks face, mixed with the odd liquid falling from her eyes confused and strangely delighted him.

Maybe this, whatever it was would help his dear brother to show up faster, even if Shadow could not understand her significance, he knew she was important to his brother. Maybe it was the way she rained from her face that kept him by her side; not a contract of puppetry, or perhaps it is how pretty she is, or maybe…….

‘It doesn’t really matter why he kept her around, because once I am finished he won’t even think of her, other than to rejoice over the fact that he was free from her suffocating grasp.  
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————  
Monkey had finally finished he’s shouting match, he was tired, drained, fighting with the people he considered friends always did this to him, Trips comforting presence and touch usually helped him to refocus and recharge, her solemn strength and determination always -err mostly kept him on track for the quest.

Finally laying down, as there wasn’t much he could do, as Shadow Monkey had Tripitaka and the sacred scrolls. Unfortunately his thinking of his friend trapped and alone with his evil doppelgänger his anger began to rise sparked even more so by coming to terms with the loss of his friend, a burning passion began to rise from Monkey’s neck, invigorated by the need to rescue his friend. His hope was powerful, his soul was gaining strength.

And then he collapsed.

The back of Monkey’s neck burned, not like before, this was not righteous flames born from the need to protect, this was something else entirely, something sickening. The burn was painful. so much so he was tempted to jump in the ocean just to relieve the earth shattering heat that rested on his neck.

-Something was wrong, something was horribly horribly wrong-

The headache that came out of nowhere now earsplitting and burning. The feelings of passion and determination all but lost in the pain, the overwhelming and all encompassing pain. A feeling of loss overcame Monkey. Devastated he finally cried tears of his own volition. His body wracked with sobs of unknown origin leaving him undone. With in a matter of moments silence over took the beach, Sandy, Pigsy and the still asleep Gaxin off in their own little world not notice the fit of extreme emotion. After expelling drastic amounts of emotion, the only thing left was stone, rock hard nearly impossible to crack; but oh so easy to shatter. The loss left him at a loss. However being the Monkey King, he made up his mind suspiciously quick, the rage around him was tangible; flickering and licking off him like fire, he had made up his mind. There was no world left to save, so he might as well burn it all down. Shadow Monkey had made his decision, and having done what he had done he had also forced Monkey’s hand. Rage only continued to well up inside Monkey until, there was only one thing left for him to do now; show no mercy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uh, I love Penelope Scott and public void is totally not what I listened to as I wrote this. ALSO, IM TOTALLY NOT PROJECTING ONTO TRIP, NOOO NOT AT ALL  
> a friend read over some of my notes, and then we decided to change the whole story, sorrrrry  
> also uhhhhh sorry for the lateness, I am going to try to get a least on chapter up a month. if I update earlier it will be a stroke of luck.

**Author's Note:**

> (Tripitaka is anything but weak, Monkey’s having a moment of self reflection and its a lot for him let him be)
> 
> Also hey guys this is my first fic I'd love to hear your thoughts! I've been reading fanfic for almost 6 years now but I haven't mustered up the courage to actually post something. Comments and Kudos are SUPER appreciated.


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